1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to compositions of protein materials more particularly having properties of resiliency and robustness. It also relates to their preparation and their biological, biochemical and pharmacological applications, more particularly for the making of artificial biological membranes.
In its most widely accepted sense, the term "artificial biological membrane" covers membranes obtained from products of biological origin and used in very different fields, such as surgery, medicine, pharmacy, but also in the chemical, textile or paper-making industries.
The properties required for these applications are mainly properties of resilience, satisfactory mechanical behaviour, chemical resistance and compatibility with different media.
2. Related Art
As a constituent of such membranes it has already been suggested to use elastin, taking advantage of its properties of resilience and its both hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature.
For example, French Patent Application No. 85 03057 of 1 Mar. 1985 in the name of INSERM mentions a product based on elastin and soluble fibrin (i.e., fibrin monomers) which is particularly suitable for the making of biomaterials and support materials, such as artificial tissues or supports for cell cultures.